So Riley doesn't deserve credit for creating the cap space for all 3? Even Bosh himself said he didn't think it was possible, remember he thought it was "Pie in the sky". So if Presti is so great, why didn't he trade back to get Westbrook and Harden? It would have saved the team more cap space, plus gotten extra picks/players in return. Also, if Portland drafts Durant #1, your whole argument goes to ****. Presti would be known as the guy that drafted Oden. He got lucky with high picks, and he used them well. I could also argue that Morey is a better at scouting talent than Presti.
I don't worship Presti like some people, but you guys who discount his drafting of Westbrook and Harden are missing the boat. Westbrook was NOT a consensus top 5 pick. Nobody really saw it coming. I was seriously scratching my head. After WB looked pedestrian during summer league, I was bummed out because KD wasn't going to get any help. Harden was controversial but not as big a surprise. There were other guys like Reke, Steph Curry and Rubio some people were locked in on. Presti gets no credit at all for drafting KD, who fell into his lap thanks to the Blazers.
Whos to say Durant does get injured there along with their other players... SO MANY WHAT IF'S Morey keeps us mediocre.... Presti's teams either suck or they are in contention And who's to say Oden doesnt stay healthy over in OKC
Yes forget those moves, what about his other solid moves Getting Dauqen Cook, Nazr Muhommed, and Eric Maynor for nothing the dude is a genuis
BTW not many people trade back in the NBA, this isnt the NFL Draft. If their is a player you want you get him, unless the person trading under you or above you has a deal in place Westbrook was seen a top 20 pick.. but who knows where he would have gone in between 4 and 20 What about getting Serge Ibaka at #24... ARE YOU SERIOUS Presti is better than Morey end of discussion
Les keeps us mediocre, not Morey. Also, you're quite optimistic if you think Greg Oden could stay healthy anywhere. The man has one leg shorter than the other.
Not tanking is proposed by Les, we need to fault the entire organization on that matter. And I stand corrected about the free agency part, but if I'm correct players earn the most resigning with their own team and not with others. Keeping a player on your own team is not difficult if you are paying them big money.
The GM's of ALL the contending teams: the bottom-line rules. This is why Morey is not one of them, talk is cheap.
Getting Eric Maynor was highway robbery of the Jazz. That was an awesome move! All OKC had to do was accept the remaining salary of Matt Harpring for that season. Cook was a similar situation with the Heat but I didn't expect him to be a useful player. Either way you slice it, Presti was the one who pounced on the opportunity.
So westbrook is clearly better than rubio and/or a better fit next to durant? I'm not getting what was so genius about clearing cap space. The biggest issue and risk seems to be the chance that you end up with nothing to show for it. However, signs point to Riley knowing in advance he'd at least have Lebron and Wade, and that alone gave him a huge edge in convincing bosh or boozer to tag along...so the risk didnt seem that large. He had time to do it. He had to give away a first rounder and beasley to make space. He had leverage over Cleveland and Toronto, which was created by Bosh and Lebron leaving and not necessarily to Miami. And it still left him without enough help to go all the way. Didn't NY have the same vision as Riley did? Wouldn't other GMs also have it, if they were in Riley's situation?
Serge was a nice pick. But let's look at his other draft picks. 2007: Traded Ray Allen and the rights to Big Baby Davis for Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West. Drafted Landry then traded him to us for a future pick and cash (whoops) 2008: Good 1st round. Took some flyers in the 2nd round, nothing really panned out 2009: Rodrigue Beaubois, who was traded to Dallas for Byron Mullens lol. Also acquired the rights to Robert Vaden while Morey acquired Sergio Llull and Chase Budinger. 2010: Drafted Eric Bledsoe, Craig Brackins, and Quincy Pondexter with their 3 1st round picks. Nothing special here.The best move they made that draft was acquiring the rights to Tibor Pleiss. 2011: Reggie Jackson, while we got Chandler Parsons over a dozen picks later.
You are incorrect.... again.... NBADRAFT.COM had him at #5 DRAFTEXPRESS.COM had him at #3 NBA.COM had him at #4
How many teams has presti had? You said that like he's been GM over several eras...All he's gone through is one rebuilding period. Oden's leg says so...
Westbrook shot up the draft boards after workouts... NBADRAFT.COM #6 DRAFTEXPRESS.COM #4 NBA.COM #6 CHAD FORD #7 It was a gutsy move that paid off, but he was not really a reach. The Knicks were in hot pursuit at #5 that year.
RC Buford Tony Parker late in the 1st round. Manu Ginobili/Luis Scola late in the 2nd round. His scouting abilities are unmatched imo. Geoff Petrie Built those insanely deep Sacramento teams (which got robbed of at least one ship). Now rebuilding a very solid team which gave us trouble last night. Sam Presti The Westbrook and Harden picks were both unexpected yet outstanding. He has a great core around them. Don't think he has ever made a bad trade.
Any love for Rod Thorn (76ers)? He drafted MJ. Built those finals teams in NJ. 6ers looking legit now (tho not sure what he has done for them).
Buford is super overrated. The Spurs made a commitment to drafting European-based players before the run started in late 90's and 00's and came up with two gems in Parker and Ginobili (while having lotto-lucked into the greatest PF of all time in Duncan)....it was smart to make the "first mover" advantage back then but that advantage no longer exists, and since Buford took over in 2002, I'm hard pressed to think of a signature move to give him credit for, other than his horrific Jackie Butler's salary + Scola for Spanoulis deal. I guess you have to give him credit for keeping the right role players like HOrry and Bowen etc and not overspending to keep departing role players like Danny Ferry or Malik Rose.
OK your right there Nook, but it still took a lot of onions by Presti to take Harden over Rubio( who many felt should replace Westbrook at the time)
